US embassy cable - 02HARARE245

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MEDIA REPORT PAPER ACCUSES U. S. OF FUNDING A PIRATE RADIO STATION; HARARE

Identifier: 02HARARE245
Wikileaks: View 02HARARE245 at Wikileaks.org
Origin: Embassy Harare
Created: 2002-01-28 06:35:00
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Tags: ZI PREL PHUM
Redacted: This cable was not redacted by Wikileaks.
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

280635Z Jan 02

 

                           UNCLASSIFIED     PTO3607

PAGE 01        HARARE  00245  280646Z 
ACTION AF-00    

INFO  LOG-00   NP-00    A-00     ACQ-00   CIAE-00  INL-00   USNW-00  
      DODE-00  DS-00    EUR-00   UTED-00  VC-00    TEDE-00  INR-00   
      LAB-01   VCE-00   NSAE-00  TEST-00  USIE-00  EPAE-00  IIP-00   
      DSCC-00  DRL-02   NFAT-00  SAS-00     /003W
                  ------------------5DEA2D  280646Z /38    
FM AMEMBASSY HARARE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0794
INFO NSC WASHDC
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
AMEMBASSY WINDHOEK 
AMEMBASSY GABORONE 
AMEMBASSY LILONGWE 
AMEMBASSY LONDON 
UNCLAS HARARE 000245 
 
SIPDIS 
 
AF/PD FOR COX, ROBERTSON, SCHLACTHER, AF/S FOR KRAFT, AF/P, 
INR/R/MR, NSC FOR JENDAYI FRAZER 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ZI, PREL, PHUM 
SUBJECT: MEDIA REPORT PAPER ACCUSES U. S. OF FUNDING A 
PIRATE RADIO STATION; HARARE 
 
 
1.   THE JANUARY 25 EDITION OF THE GOVERNMENT-CONTROLLED 
    DAILY "THE HERALD" CARRIED AN ARTICLE ON PAGE ONE, 
    PICKED UP FROM THE JANUARY 24 EDITION OF THE BRITISH 
    GUARDIAN NEWSPAPER, ACCUSING THE U. S. OF FUNDING A 
    "PIRATE RADIO STATION" BROADCASTING TO ZIMBABWE.  THE 
    ARTICLE, UNDER HEADLINE "U. S. FUNDING PIRATE RADIO 
    STATION: PAPER," ACCUSES THE U. S. OF PAYING OUT 
    MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO THE STATION THROUGH A DEPARTMENT 
    OF THE U. S. AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 
    (USAID) AND THE OFFICE OF TRANSITION INITIATIVES.  THE 
    STATION, WHICH HAS BEEN ON AIR FOR A MONTH AND 
    BROADCASTS THREE HOURS A NIGHT ON SHORT-WAVE IS HEADED 
    BY GERRY JACKSON, A BRITISH NATIONAL WHO WAS SACKED BY 
    THE STATE-RUN ZIMBABWE BROADCASTING CORPORATION FIVE 
    YEARS AGO.  ARTICLE EXCERPTS FOLLOW: 
 
2.   "THE U. S. IS SECRETLY FUNDING A PIRATE RADIO STATION 
    IN LONDON, SW RADIO AFRICA, WIDELY ACCUSED OF FUELLING 
    POLITICAL VIOLENCE AND TRIBAL HATRED WITH ITS NIGHTLY 
    BROADCASTS TO ZIMBABWE. . .MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE 
    BEING CHANNELED TO THE STATION FROM A DEPARTMENT OF THE 
    USAID AND THE OFFICE OF THE TRANSITION INITIATIVES. . 
    .THE STATION'S SPOKESWOMAN AND FORMER ZBC PRESENTER, 
    GEORGINA GODWIN, SAID THAT FUNDING FOR THE STATION CAME 
    FROM 'HUMAN RIGHTS AND MEDIA FREEDOM GROUPS,' BUT WOULD 
    ANSWER NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.  THE GUARDIAN REPORT SAID 
    THAT SW RADIO AFRICA. . .WAS GIVING THE OPPOSITION A 
    PLATFORM, PROVIDING AN ENDLESS DIET OF PROPAGANDA AND 
    FALSEHOODS ON THE ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL SITUATION IN 
    THE COUNTRY. . . ." 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
PAGE 03        HARARE  00245  280646Z 
SULLIVAN 
 
                       UNCLASSIFIED 
 
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